Nissan Zaroot Concept

Zaroot combines traditional SUV values - and a serious
off-road ability - with futuristic, sporty styling that marks it out as
something different. It's an authentic 4x4 that delivers genuine off-road
agility but with added sporty credentials in an eye-catching body that adopts
and adapts many sports car styling features. The result is a dynamic take on
how the compact SUV of the future could look.

Zaroot - the name plays on the words 'root' and 'route',
linking Nissan's SUV heritage with the path ahead - is a traditional SUV in its
ability. Nissan's advanced, electronically controlled ALL-MODE four-wheel drive
system ensures grip at all times, while the generous ground clearance and short
front and rear overhangs means Zaroot can more than hold its own off-road. And,
thanks to years of experience in the SUV market, Nissan has ensured Zaroot is
good to drive on-road, too, with strong performance, excellent road-holding and
handling and high levels of comfort.

With dimensions of 4500mm x 1800mm x 1660mm (length/
width/height) it is best described as a compact SUV, yet it appears far sleeker
thanks to its sloping arch roofline and the dramatic use of gullwing doors. The
doors dominate Zaroot's profile, extending from the A-pillar to the rear of the
passenger compartment, effectively where the C-pillar would be in a
conventional vehicle. There is no B-pillar. The advantage of gullwing doors -
aside from the dramatic looks - is the ease of access to the cabin they allow,
both for passengers and luggage: with the rear seats folded, an
awkwardly-shaped load such as a bicycle can be slotted into the vehicle with
ease. The downside of such doors, however, is that they can be unusually large
which can cause problems when trying to open them in tight parking spaces.

Nissan's designers have overcome this problem, however, by
creating a shortened door that is only a little deeper than the side window.
The trailing edge of the door finishes in line with the seat cushion, where it
meets an extended sill. To maintain the ease of ingress and egress to and from
the cabin, the sill automatically drops away underneath the vehicle whenever
the door is opened. The side windows are fixed, but incorporate a small
"toll-ticket" cut-out, while the doors themselves have no exterior
handles but are opened via a discreet electric switch. Fully integrated door
mirrors also house the indicator repeaters. When fully opened, the doors add
just 355mm to the overall height of Zaroot, allowing access to the cabin even
if Zaroot is parked in a garage with low ceilings.

If the pentagonal doors define the character of Zaroot, the
"arch graphic" roof line continues a design theme that has featured
on virtually all recent Nissan's design concepts. Together they bring increased
sporting prowess to an area of the market which hitherto has been seen as
little more than utilitarian. Front and rear styling also adds a futuristic
twist to a conventional shape. Zaroot's bluff nose ensures minimum front
overhangs and incorporates Nissan's now familiar double strut grille, though
the unusual vertical headlamp cluster brings an almost technical feel to
Zaroot's "face".

A feature already familiar to owners of Nissan SUVs is the
roof-mounted spotlight package, neatly incorporated into the integral roof
rails. At the rear, a wide opening tailgate eases loading, while the unusual
rear lights form an extended U-shape surrounding the entire rear window. The
central reversing light, meanwhile, forms part of the tailgate handle.

Inside, style once again meets function. The main aim of the
interior design has been to create the maximum space for passengers and their
luggage. The seats, for example, are unusually thin to underline the impression
of airiness, but careful anatomic design ensures both comfort and support.
Despite its wider than average cabin, Zaroot has been designed as a four
seater, with the area between the seats in both the front and rear providing
space for functional features such as cup holders and oddment storage. Matching
the gullwing doors for dramatic style is the extended C-shaped centre console,
which appears to float between the two front seats. Made from a single piece of
aluminium, the console houses switches for the electronic traction systems as
well as the transmission controls.